Sarah Margaret Johanson

This is another addition in the Healthy Toddler series. Brushing your teeth is not the favourite thing for toddlers to do, at least it wasn't with my grandson. I wish I had had this book to read with him to help teach him the concept. Caillou brushes his teeth every morning and night. First mommy does it for him, cut he is not a baby anymore and wants to do it himself. Mommy or daddy always watch and help when he needs it. He learns quickly and even tries to teach his toy dinosaurs that they need to brush. Lots of bright colours enhance the large illustrations in this book. Another good one for the family library. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.… (altro)

I really like this story for a younger audience. Caillou is a children’s character that most pre-school children enjoy, but in written form, it can be engaging for kindergarten and first grade students as well. The language is detailed, but also age-appropriate with a lot of dialogue. The big idea of this story is about the meaning of Thanksgiving and specific traditions relating to the holiday. One page in the book states, “Caillou is not exactly sure what Thanksgiving means. But he knows he will eat his favorite meal, turkey and mashed potatoes.”I like this statement because it shows how strong the relationship is between the food we eat and our cultural traditions.Turkey is often associated with family coming together and saying what they are thankful for. This book may be more engaging if it was written in first person rather than third. Caillou is a curious, young child who is relatable to many other young children, so hearing the story from his perspective could help children connect to this character more. While there is no conflict or action in the plot, it is heartwarming and reminds students not to take their families for granted. The pictures are very simple without much detail, but they are colorful and take up almost every page entirely. For every two pages of the story, one page has words, so the text portion of this story is not too heavy for an early elementary school reader. Any story about being thankful for family and good health would be one I would recommend for children, since books like these spread a positive and significant message that students can carry with them for the rest of their lives.… (altro)

I really enjoyed reading this children’s book for many different reasons. First, I like how the author created lessons for the reader to learn throughout the book. At the beginning on the story, Caillou, the main character, saw his dad and sister riding their bikes without training wheels. Caillou still had his training wheels on and rode behind them, eventually asking to stop by their house and take the training wheels off. He thought that riding his bike with two wheels would be easier for him than it actually was. I think this is important because it showed Caillou and the reader that just because you think you can do something without practicing before hand, does not mean that you will actually be able to do it. This lesson is important for children in life, as they are young and eager to do new things without having any experience beforehand. Caillou realized at the end of the story that it would be a better idea for him to take a step back and practice with his training wheels than it would be to skip a few steps and just go for it without practicing at all. This then brings to another important aspect of the book, that Caillou’s development was positive throughout the story. He was talking to his Dad asking, “Why can’t I do it?” Then, he realized the same situation was occurring with his little sister, Rosie, with her not being able to put her shoes on the correct feet and tie them successfully. This made him realize that it takes time and practice to accomplish something new, and he will eventually be able to achieve that goal with time.… (altro)